The Love She Once Knew
by Blizzard Flygandia
Summary: Zan Partizanne always loved Hyness, and yet Hyness never loved Zan back...or did he at one point? (Anime and game based)
1. The Heart Had Done It

**Warning: This story will contain major spoilers for** _ **Kirby Star Allies**_ **, as well as minor spoilers for other games and the anime (original and dubbed). So if you don't like spoilers, please do not read this story.**

 **Also, please note that some events in this story will loosely cross over with the events of my other two Kirby stories. You don't have to read them, though, just saying.**

 **All characters in this story, besides my OCs (who are based on Kirby characters), belong to Nintendo and HAL Laboratory.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 1

The Heart Had Done It

There was only pitch black…

She was barely conscious…

She couldn't move…

Yet she could think and feel…

She felt great pain, along with something squishy and wet wrap around her body…and there was nothing she could do about it.

That was all she could remember…

Then the next thing she knew was still immobilized, immense pain to her head.

Her eyesight was dimmed deep red, yet she could see this scary place; very fleshy, deep-magenta innards from which she couldn't look away.

There was the deafening sound of rhythmic thunder in her ears. It must have been coming from below…

Despite all of this, she was still able to think clearly. Dozens of questions were racing through her semi-frozen mind: How did she wind up here? What was this awful place? Would she ever get out of here? Would this pain ever end? Was anyone responsible for this?

Yes; there was someone responsible for this… _ **him.**_

She always loved him, and yet he never loved her back…or did he at one point? She couldn't answer that at the moment…

It _had_ to be him…his insanity, his cruel nature, his only desire…how could this not be because of him? To her, it just didn't feel right to blame him…

And then she was slammed into something else fleshy…and much louder than before. At that moment, the truth of which she was once suspicious struck her like lightning: it was not _him_ …it was _the Heart!_

But she still didn't understand: Wasn't he the one to release the great terror? Wasn't he the reason she was trapped here, along with the others? Wasn't _he_ the reason she and the others were constantly tossed around like rag dolls? Wasn't _he_ the reason she was immobilized?

No…she realized it was never him. The Heart had done it the whole time. But this still didn't feeling quite complete to her…

She was slammed against that fleshy surface again. Her forced stare shifted, and then she saw what it was…an enormous, fleshy sphere beating with a life of its own. And at that moment, she knew where she was…

Yes, it had to be…she was deep inside the beast's body and this was its heart.

But at that exacted moment, an ever deeper truth came to her, again like lightning; her own power. The one responsible wasn't just _this_ heart, but also his heart…and hers.

* * *

 **A/N: So this story is supposed to be Zan and Hyness' backstory to how Zan apparently fell in love with Hyness and how Hyness became insane.** **I know this chapter may sound very suspenseful, is short and may not make much sense, but I'll update as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to tell me what me what you think, but no flames/spam please!**


	2. Blue Boy

**Part I: The Feud**

Chapter 2

Blue Boy

A long, long way back…a little boy lived in a normally peaceful community of magical people, where he decided to go out for a walk…alone. He felt a bit nervous…for two reasons. In first place, this was something he'd never done before; he would always have an adult with him. In second place, he looked rather different from everyone he knew. He had some similarities: large, bright eyes, pointed ears with stripes, and dressed in long robes. But this child was anything but the same as the others: for some odd reason, he was born with bright blue skin and an abnormally large nose. He never really minded this though, and was still a perfect child to his parents.

Little did he know that this would all change that day.

At one point, he grew rather curious and wandered into an unfamiliar part of the village. Here, many people seemed to just stare at him, some of which looked horrified. This made him a bit more nervous, but he kept going onward. Soon enough, he found a small, rocky pit with a group of children chatting amongst each other. Very curious, the boy slowly approached them. It was the first time he saw other children. But before he could even wonder what they were doing, one child looked up at him and whispered something to the others. Then they all seemed to glare up at him, making him feel a bit intimidated.

One rough-looking boy dressed in green robes floated out of the gathering and pointed at him. "Just who do you think you are?" he growled.

The blue-skinned boy tried not to look too nervous. "I-I'm sorry…I d-didn't mean t-to d-disturb y-you all…" he stuttered, unable to control the tone of his voice. "I-I'll just leave if you w-want m-me to…"

"Leave?" replied the boy in green robes, who the blue-skinned boy assumed to be the leader of the group. "You should consider leaving the planet, parasite!" the other children laughed wildly.

"Look at his giant nose!" cackled another child.

"He must've pasted it on his face!" taunted another one.

He then realized that these children were older than him and did not welcome him, as well as how different he was from them; they all had deep brown fur covering their skin, while his bare skin was blue! And his large nose…none of these children had anything like that. But what _really_ stunned him was the sudden realization that there wasn't a single colored hair on his head. He wanted to make a run for it, crying on the inside…yet he refused to show this on the outside.

"Cut it out, all of you!" he shouted. A silence then fell among the group. "Look, if you don't want me to be here, then fine, I'll just go home!"

"Go home?" smirked the leader. "We think not; you clearly don't know us, alien parasite. In this club, our goal is to eradicate any non-Galaxy Wizards from our colony. And for a giant-nosed, blue-skinned parasite like you…" he grabbed a large stone from the ground, "you're a shame to our race!"

Now was when he began to trail away. But then, he felt something pelt him in the shoulder and knock him to the ground. It was the group's leader throwing that stone at him with full strength. "Don't let him get away!" the leader ordered the rest of the children.

Now the boy began to panic. He rushed to get up, feeling more rocks hit him, especially in the back of the head. One struck directly behind his left ear, which felt very sharp and made him scream. Yet he managed to get back up and make a run for it before any of the children could catch him, tears in his eyes. He made a direct run home, not caring if anyone saw him.

* * *

"Pheonyx, are you sure that was a good idea to let him go alone?"

"He'll be fine, Tyama. He'd never wander too far."

"But you know him! He's always curious about everything; he could get distracted easily! He might even run into the Galaxy Mages!"

"He would never wander that far, darling. And besides, he has other Galaxy Wizards to aid him. Who could possibly-"

" **MAMA! PAPA!"**

The boy's parents snapped out of their argument to see their young son with a face covered in tears, one of the last things they wanted to see.

"Hyness!" both parents exclaimed.

Their son, Hyness, ran into their arms as quick as he could, eyes like waterfalls.

"Son…" began his mama, "what happened to you?"

"The Galaxy Mages didn't do this to you, did they?" his papa wondered aloud in slight anger.

"No, Papa, it was other wizards!" Hyness wailed. "They threw rocks at me!"

His papa looked to his wife. "Tyama, do you mind heating a bit of milk for our little prince? He feels cold."

She nodded before heading out of the room.

Hyness' papa took his son -or prince as both parents often called him- to his room, where they both sat on Hyness' bed. "Tell, son…" his papa began, " what exactly happened out there?"

Hyness sniffed, wiping his eyes with his long sleeves, and proceeded to tell his father in a broken voice. He teared up as he spoke, especially at the point when the other children called him a "parasite" and a "shame to their race."

"When I tried to run away from them and get help, they started throwing rocks at me!" Hyness concluded. He then buried his face into his papa's cloak and broke down into a sobbing mess.

Right then did his papa see just how bad this was; cuts and scratches were all over his head and ears, and dirt on the back of his cloak. But what really upset his papa was a huge open cut behind his son's left ear, as if it was hit with a sharp object. It was bleeding more than the rest of his wounds combined.

"Why those children…" his papa grumbled, "I'll curse every one of them if they do anything like that again!"

"Now, now, Pheonyx…" Hyness' mother walked in, "Don't get too angry; we'll figure something out later."

At the soothing sound of his mama's voice, Hyness pulled his face out of his papa's chest to gaze up at her, still crying a bit. She held a damp rag and a roll of bandages in her right hand. In her left, she held a bottle of her son's lifelong comfort food: milk. Hyness' eyes sparkled at the sight of it, no longer in a weeping mess, although still slightly teary.

"Here, Hyness." she offered him the bottle. "Have a bit of milk to calm yourself."

Without the need to question, Hyness took the milk bottle, lifted it to his invisible mouth, and began drinking it quietly and slowly to savor every drop, feeling the warm, creamy, delicious liquid trickling down his throat. As he savored the rich liquid, his parents cleaned the dirt and scrapes on his head with the damp rag, followed by bandaging the open cut on his left ear. It felt rather uncomfortable for Hyness when they cleaned off his head, and nearly unbearable when they did the same to his ear, making him tear up more, but he didn't fuss and stayed focused on his milk. By the time the last of the bandages were wrapped, his bottle was empty. Hyness' mama took it from him and both parents brought him into a warm hug, drying away his remaining tears.

"Don't let those children bother you, son." his papa told him. "You're the best child we could ever have."

"You're perfect in every way possible." added his mama softly.

Hyness nodded, comforted by his parents' words, and let out a small yawn. His parents pulled the blanket of the bed out and let Hyness lay on his back, drawing the blankets over him. His papa gently stroked him behind his right ear as he gazed at both parents with sleepy intrigue. Beneath the blanket, Hyness pulled his hands out of his sleeves and placed them over his full tummy, feeling it give out a small, quiet groan of satisfaction. He felt the warm milk inside of it, warming his entire body, lulling him to sleep. He enjoyed the feeling of this and the strokes behind his ear until he dozed off into dreams.

* * *

Over the next few days, despite what his parents had told him, Hyness was far too afraid to go outside at all, even with his parents. The last thing he wanted was to run into those children again; who knew what they would do to him? He didn't even want to think about that. The closest he would get to the outdoors was peering out the windows of his home. He greatly feared that he could never go outside again without fainting at the sight of those children. But luckily, his parents came up with an idea. The whole family made up a game to search the house of any scrap fabric they could find, and Hyness' mama made him a long hood out of them to cover his face. Although that face was very precious to his parents, they knew that this was what he really wanted.

At first sight, Hyness liked the idea, but felt a bit unsure about it. But when he tried it on, requiring a bit of help in the process, he thought he looked wonderful; the white cloth and gold trimmings matched his robes perfectly, so it barely looked like a clear disguise. Along with that, it made his face look much darker with only his golden eyes visible. In a mirror, he could almost mistake it for someone else.

 _Perfect!_ Hyness thought. _I'm sure that no one will notice me now._

And that was what he thought for many years to come.

* * *

 **A/N: so, at this point in the story, I tried to make Hyness…let's say a 4-year old boy, and as cute as possible. That being said, he doesn't have the weird chameleon eyes like he does in the game. Man, those eyes gave me a heart attack…I think I might be traumatized.**


	3. Death of a Mage

Chapter 3

Death of a Mage

In another community on the same planet, a very young girl was collecting the medicine needed for someone she loved very much. It may have been the only hope for saving this mage, for she had gone to war with an opposing community and had a cold poison spell cast on her. Since then, she had fallen ill, with her condition worsening each day, and she solely relied on this young girl– her only child –to look after her.

Although very young, the mage's daughter was clever and an exceptionally responsible worker. If asked to do any task, she was sure to stay on top of it. And in this case, she was quick to fetch the medicine and a cup of tea for her bedridden mother.

"Here Mum; with a little extra ginger in it, just like you asked." said the girl.

"Thank you, Zan Partizanne." her mother responded, unable to look at her.

"Is it alright if I leave you?" her daughter, Zan Partizanne, asked.

"I'm not so sure, sweetheart." moaned Zan Partizanne's mother.

This was not this answer she was hoping to hear. "What do you mean, Mum?"

Her mum looked down at her from the bed. "Zanny…" she began, "could you please…come up here for…a moment?"

Zanny obediently climbed onto her mum's bed. She then realized how unhealthy her mum was; her face was pale green, and her eyes were sagging with dark lines under them. Zan grew worried, but couldn't say anything.

"Zan…I know this may be…difficult to hear, but…I don't know…how much longer…we'll be…together." Zan's mum stated, slow and weak.

Zan quivered, her hands growing clammy. "No…you can't mean…"

"I'm afraid so, dear." her mum responded. "At this rate…my life won't last…much longer."

Zan couldn't believe this. "But…what will I do without you?" she whimpered.

Her mum sighed. "You might…have to live…with Aunt Orchid."

Zan's eyes began to tear up. "Mum…there has to be…some way to help. I'll do anything!"

"I'm sorry, darling." said her mum. "If only we could…somehow coexist with…the Galaxy Wizards…this wouldn't have happened. There's nothing…you can do for…me now."

Zan hugged her mum's hand, and then felt even more upset; her hand felt like it was dunked in an ice bath for several minutes. Unable to hold in any more emotion, she placed her head on her mum's chest and cried to her heart's content. She just couldn't bear the thought of losing her mum this way…yet there was nothing she could do.

"Mum…I'll going to miss you so much if I lose you!" Zan sobbed.

Zan's mum ran her ice-cold hand through her daughter's yellow hair, hoping to calm her. "I know you will, Zanny. Why shouldn't you? But I'm telling you…everything will be alright."

Zan lifted her head off her mum's chest, still crying a bit. "Aunt Orchid can take care of me?"

Her mum nodded. "And remember…even if you can't see me…I'll always be there for you. I promise."

"But Mum…if I can't see you…how can I ever become a brave mage like you?"

"For that…you will have to follow your heart." her mum answered. "It knows the answer to everything."

Zan nodded, and her mum gave her a kiss on the forehead. She stayed there and watched her mum before falling asleep in her bed shortly after.

Sadly, that was the last time she ever spoke to this brave mage…

Her mother lay lifeless early the next morning.

* * *

Zan Partizanne, devastated, spent the next two days packing up what she could take with her, crying every few hours in the process. She would be moving to her Aunt Orchid's home when given the chance. It would be dangerous out there; the Galaxy Wizards, who absolutely despised her race and vice versa, could've been hiding anywhere in her village. But she would have to travel alone; she had no siblings, older or younger, and now both of her parents were dead. The best option in her mind was to travel in broad daylight when every mage was up and she could see the wizards.

Thankfully for Zan, many of the villagers knew her because of how famous her mum was as a warrior. And because of this, several volunteered to walk her to her aunt's home. Zan thanked them very much for this before helping herself into the home.

She almost called out to let her aunt know she had arrived, but something stopped her; she remembered that her aunt recently had a baby. Calling out would likely make the baby upset and get her into trouble. So instead, she set her things down by the front door and went to find her aunt, who she found in her room.

Orchid was a light-skinned Galaxy Mage with short lilac hair and teal eyes. She was the sister of Zan's father, who Zan never met. She often wore a pink flower in her hair, spoke with a unique accent, and was an expert tutor in archery.

Aunt Orchid turned to find her niece standing at her room's doorway. "Why, hello Zan Partizanne!" she exclaimed cheerfully, which was strange, because she looked as if she had just been crying.

Zan ran over to her aunt and gave her a hug, which she needed, as she was still upset about her mum's death. "I'm so sorry, dear, about your mother." she heard her aunt say. Her aunt bringing up her mum's death made her start crying a bit again.

"You have everything that you need, dear?" Aunt Orchid asked Zan.

"Yes Auntie." Zan answered. "I spent two full days packing up."

"Very, very good dear! Now, is there anything I can do for you?"

Zan giggled a bit. "I could honestly ask you the same thing!"

Aunt Orchid was slightly shocked by this. "What do you mean, dear?"

"Well, the thing is…I'm rather used to doing things around the house…do you have anything of which I can possibly take responsibility?"

Orchid puzzled a moment. "…Perhaps there is something you can do…in the long term…"

"What exactly do you mean by 'long term'?" Zan questioned, not knowing the meaning.

"Well, Zan Partizanne…I think I have a bit of a surprise for you, then." Aunt Orchid replied. "Do you mind coming with me, dear?"

Without hesitating, Zan followed her aunt to another room with a small crib. Zan looked over the side and saw two tiny Galaxy mages with skin as pink as roses, both fast asleep. One had curly red hair while the other had fluffy blue hair. Both were the cutest things Zan had ever seen.

"Zan," began Aunt Orchid, "I would like you to meet my twin daughters, Flamberge and Francisca."

Zan looked up at her aunt in shock. "Twin daughters? You mean…I have two little cousins now?"

"Yes dear." her aunt replied. "And I would appreciate if you can help me take care of them. But please note: never separate the two. They've always been bonded."

Zan felt so much joy on the inside. "I would be delighted!" she told Aunt Orchid. Having two adorable cousins to take care of…what an exciting task this would be for her!

"Very well then, Zan." said Orchid. "But along with this, I am also going to teach you to be a strong warrior, just like your mother…when you're older, of course. Now seems a bit too soon for you to learn to fight off those Galaxy Wizards."

"Yes, I most certainly will, Aunt Orchid." Zan told her with determination.

"Be quiet; you'll wake the twins!" Aunt Orchid hushed her.

"Oh, right…sorry." Zan whispered.

* * *

 **A/N: I know…this was sad, right? I honestly cried a bit when writing it.**

 **Anyway, I know that the generals were referred to as "sisters" during Hyness' second phase, but from what I've researched, this could be referring to them as nuns. Because Francisca and Flamberge seem to have a strong relationship, I thought I should make them twins. As for Zan…well, let's say that I wanted to take a bit of a unique approach.**

 **I know that I've published this story only six days ago, but I've decided that I'm putting it on hiatus until I finish my other two Kirby stories. I may update this sometime in between, though. Jambuhbye!**


	4. A Land of His Own

**A/N: Alright, alright, I know I said that I might not work on this story until my others are finished, but with an update on the Kirby Star Allies news channel, I figured I should write _something_ at least...**

 **Responses (since I forgot to write them in the last chapter, please forgive me!):**

 **GaoGod: I actually depict Hyness and Magolor to be two unrelated species that just look somewhat similar, but that's a very interesting thought! I should probably look more into that...**

 **Elininjakat: Aw, thank you! And I feel bad for him too (poor kid...)**

* * *

Chapter 4

A Land of His Own

Several moons have passed since Hyness' incident with the older children. He was now a little less fearful, but nowhere near brave enough to show his face to anyone besides his parents. He would wear the hood his mother made him at all times wherever he went, not wanting to even be playfully teased about his face. And although he seemed to recover from the awful experience, his left ear did not. The bad cut on it from the rock-throwing never fully healed, and the ear drooped a bit as if a muscle in it was torn. It made Hyness wonder if what hit him even _was_ just a rock…

But over the previous weeks, Hyness made himself get over his fears at least a little bit, for he recently started magic school. From the first day, several of his classmates, and even his teacher, questioned the hood over his head. Hyness, too timid to tell the truth, told them that he felt more comfortable wearing it. In some ways that was true, but far from the real reason. Despite this, he really enjoyed school and proved himself to be a very fast learner. And now, after a long day of learning, he was on his way home with a bit of reading to do.

"Hello, Hyness! How was school today?" his father greeted him as he walked through the door.

"It was pretty good, papa." Hyness responded. "I got a perfect score on my reading test today."

"Very good, son!" his papa congratulated him. "I must say, you seem to be learning a lot very quickly. I'm proud of you!"

Right after he said that, the sound of breaking ceramic came from the kitchen. Hyness' papa rose from his seat to inspect the scene, while Hyness sat down on the floor and opened one of his books for a bit of studying.

"What happened, Tyama? Are you hurt?" he heard his papa say.

"No, I'm fine, honey. Just failing at levitation magic, I guess…" his mama replied.

"Levitation? Since when did you know about that kind of magic?"

"Oh, um…I wanted to see if I could teach myself to use it."

"Well that's just great, because now we have a broken dinner plate!"

"So what? It was just a small mistake I made."

"You call something like that a mistake?!"

"Phoenyx, what has gotten into you?!"

Hyness' parents continued arguing, quickly getting under his skin. How was he supposed to read when his parents were being so loud? In the following minutes, he was fed up with hearing their quarrelling, so he took his books with him to his room and shut the door. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for him; even when he sat in the corner farthest from the door, he could still hear them. After a while longer of trying to tune out his parents' argument, he completely gave up on trying to study, climbed into his bed and pulled the blanket over his covered head, not even caring if he fell asleep on an empty stomach.

* * *

Hyness awoke very late that night, ears sweating under his hood. Realizing this, along with the fact that he was safe in his own home, he took the hood off and rubbed his head sleepily, trying to remember the dream he had. It was a very good one, where he had a little place to call his own all to himself; there were no other children or Galaxy Mages to threaten him. There was only him and his peaceful land- a kingdom of his very own. It was something he could only wish for…or was it?

He looked to his side and saw a bit of leftovers from dinner on his bedside table, making him realize how much his body was aching from hunger. It wasn't much of a surprise to him; he slept through dinner after all. Despite how hungry he was, he didn't eat it immediately; he was busy gazing out his window, up at the full moon. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, but something about it was so…intriguing. It was almost as if it was calling to him. And then out of nowhere, as he kept staring at it, a glowing blue streak soared across it, suddenly reminding him of his astrology class earlier that day; his teacher told him that, for an unknown reason, a colored streak of light would appear in the night sky on very rare occasions…

…Perhaps _that_ was what called to him. So he quickly ate his dinner, grabbed his book, put his hood back on and quietly headed out the door, hoping he wouldn't wake his parents.

Hyness couldn't recall ever seeing his village so quiet; practically silent, aside from the quiet voice of the cool breeze. He found this place rather peaceful but couldn't stay; this was not the place of which he dreamt. That place was still calling to him with the light of the moon, and he had to keep following it.

He then found himself leaving the safety of the village to an area unknown to him: the forbidden lands, where no wizard was allowed to wander. He was once aware of this but didn't care at the moment. All he wanted was to know where the moonlight, the memory of the dream and the voice of that special place in the breeze would take him.

After an endless period of time practically standing still as Hyness walked these forbidden wonders in the cold of the night, he came across a small spring glowing with the moon's rays. Hyness' good ear perked up in wonder as he gazed at it, watching the stars glimmer in its waters. To him it was breathtaking; he couldn't recall ever seeing something so beautiful in his life. Was this hiding just outside his home the whole time, all waiting for him to discover it? If that was the case, this moment was truly a special one.

He then realized that the moonlit spring was surrounded by cove-like rocks, some of which held caverns that could probably fit him inside of it. Carefully, he floated around the spring to one that looked a bit larger than the others. Upon close glance, he saw that these caverns were much larger than he thought. Unable to contain himself from the sensation, he entered this cavern and found himself a quiet spot to sit and rest. Back at home, he felt stressed whenever his parents argued over the silliest things. Although he loved them, he couldn't stand when that happened. Now, what a relief it was to get away from all of that. Such a peaceful place with no one else here, just like in his dream. It was so beautiful…he almost wanted to stay here forever. He even felt safe enough to take his hood off. When he did that, he felt the cold breeze stroking the back of his head, whispering into his ear that he found the place from his dreams. It was all such a living reverie. He quickly found himself falling asleep in the cavern, the moon's candlelight shining down on his uncovered head.

An hour into his slumber, it turned out that Hyness was never alone, although he was completely unaware of that. And although three of the four companions were undeniably powerful, they did not seek harm.

"So someone came after all..." the youngest companion's voice thought aloud, "Is he asleep, Guardians?"

"Fast asleep, Amber," another, younger-sounding voice replied, "and showing no signs of waking."

"He is kitsune-tired." a similar-sounding voice added, "What a long did it's been for him!"

"But his face..." the youngest creature's voice realized, "He has no hair or fur! His skin is blue and he has such a big nose! Is there a reason for that, Chenoa?"

"Absolutely, feathered friend," nodded the final voice, "He is the great-grandson of the skin-cursed princess, Alorphyna. Her genetic curse must've been passed down to him over those generations."

"But her legend is so widely ignored in meaning...and he fears to be caught with his face exposed to the sunlight."

"Why is that, Aurora?"

"He's been bullied by older children five moons ago, and may have received long-lasting damage from a blow to the ear from them. See how his left ear wilts?"

"However, he may be a sign of hope to the universe, being a descendant of one who banished the destroyer of worlds. If only he had someone else alongside him..."

The three sprites and their bird companion gazed at the Eastern horizon, where a dim glow began waking upon it. At this point, the four nodded in silent agreement that it was time to take the young wizard back home. Using a telekinetic power, the sprites painlessly lifted Hyness off the ground while the adolescent bird summoned a portal to his bedroom and grabbed his book.

* * *

Hyness was clueless to how he woke up in his own bedroom the next morning. All he really knew was that he kept coming back to this place, mainly after magic school. With each visit, he learned a little more about these forbidden lands. And this all became a bit of a pattern: he would leave school when the day was over, come to the forbidden lands, study in peace or simply rest, and then head home for dinner. And he was never caught in the act by any wizard, nor did he dare to breathe a word about this place to any soul.

Hyness enjoyed having this small land of his own; in some ways, it made him feel like a prince, just like what his parents named him after. But although he loved having this place all to himself, something about it didn't feel quite complete to him, as if something from his dream was absent from reality. And having this place all to himself…over time, it made him feel a bit lonely. But at the same time, he couldn't trust anyone to keep this place a secret. Especially his parents; to find out that he was spending much of his time in an area strictly forbidden to the Galaxy Wizards…what would they think?

Despite all this, Hyness felt happy deep down to have such a land of his own where no wizard, mage or soldier could disturb his studying. Very little did he know that he was never alone in these forbidden lands, for he was completely blind and deaf to a deadly essence of hatred, waking in dark flames…

* * *

 **A/N: Just to say, if you're wondering why these characters aren't speaking in the "Jamba language," the reason will be cleared up later on.**

 **Also, for those of you who celebrate it...have a very safe and happy Halloween!**


	5. First Lesson

**A/N: Alright, alright...I have a serious question to ask...**

 **It's been only (exactly) five months since I've uploaded this story...AND HOW THE HAILSTORM DID I GET 1,500 VIEWS!? Do you all seriously like this story this much!?**

 **All yelling aside, I want to thank you all so, so much! Actually, let me rephrase that...Jamanke vun! I feel so flattered right now...**

* * *

Chapter 5

First Lesson

 _"Hush now children, it's time for bed,_

 _No need to cry, rest your head_

 _Let fear run and dreams shall come,_

 _Rest now children, the daylight is done."_

When Zan finished her lullaby, both of her cousins, now toddlers, were fast asleep. For Zan, however, the day was not yet at its curtains. Careful not to wake the twins, she backed out of the room and quietly shut the door behind her. She then headed outside to meet her aunt; it was time for her first lesson on becoming a warrior.

Upon arriving outside, Zan saw Aunt Orchid with a bow in floating hand, stretched to it a leafed arrow aimed at a plank of wood. She stood statue-still for a moment before releasing the string in her right hand, sending the arrow flying and rooting itself into the plank. To Zan, it was astonishing from start to finish, and she giggled with amusement.

Orchid turned around to notice her niece watching her. "Marvelous, is it not, darling? All it takes is a bit of skill!"

"And then I'll be as good as you, Auntie?" said Zan. "I'd love to gain such skill!"

Her aunt laughed a bit. "Why, of course, Zanny! As long as you put in the time and effort, you'll have no trouble learning to become a warrior!"

"I can't wait, Auntie!" Zan exclaimed. "Where do I begin?"

"Well, before showing you the basics, I'd say we should know about our enemies, don't you agree?" Orchid suggested, setting down her bow. "How about we start there?"

Zan nodded eagerly, and Aunt Orchid sat on the ground beside her, gazing at the sky as the sun slowly started to set beneath the horizon and twilight settled in. "It all starts many centuries ago, when a great beast awoke from a long slumber…" her aunt began. "Holding a grudge against existence, this beast created a wicked warlock emperor known as _Nightmare,_ who fantasizes to conquer the entire universe for the great beast."

"What is the 'Great Beast,' Auntie?" Zan inquired.

"I am disappointed to say that its name is only spoken of by the mages of nobility, so I do not know myself." told Aunt Orchid. "But there were, and still are, many who will not bow to Nightmare's rule. Knowing that he is very powerful, they fight him and his endless supply of minions, sparking wars across the galaxy. These rebels, known as Galaxy Warriors, have been mighty, although not all make it out alive.

We Galaxy Mages were once part of the Galaxy Warrior tribe, along with the Galaxy Soldiers and Star Warriors. However, those filthy Galaxy Wizards became jealous of us over the centuries, and even started to invade our space. Since then, we left battles against Nightmare to the Galaxy Soldiers, and promise to return once the wizards are defeated."

"And we've been feuding ever since…" Zan figured a conclusion. "…and that's why Mum is no more…"

Orchid, nervous of her niece bursting into tears, ran her hand through Zan's long blonde hair. "I'm afraid your father too, dear." she added. "He went to fight them before your birth and never returned." She then realized that Zan was starting to tear up a bit, and held both of her hands, making eye contact with her. "And that, Zan, is why we mages need you to join us. If you manage to become a warrior, I guarantee that even the landia herself will be very proud."

Zan only stared at her in astonishment. Never had she heard her aunt be this serious. Yet to her, she was right…her parents were gone because of this opposing race; she needed revenge on them. "You're right, Aunt Orchid." she responded. "I know I can get back at them one day!"

"That's the spirit, Zan Partizanne!" Orchid insisted. "Now, shall we learn the basics?"

* * *

Now evening, Zan was tired of trying to properly thrust a spear, but she wasn't giving up until she got it right. The spear wasn't anything fancy; just a long stick with a stone head that her aunt made earlier that day. Quick to figure out how to hold it, Zan's next task was to learn jab enemies in close combat. If only she wasn't having such trouble fully stabbing it into the wood plank…

"Are you sure you want to keep doing this, Zanny?" Aunt Orchid called to her. "We can always try tomorrow night."

"I want to get it right! I know I can!" Zan pushed on. After a few more fails, she grew even more exhausted. And then…she finally gave one last try, and the spear stayed in its wooden victim. Feeling so much excitement, she ran over to her aunt. "Auntie, Auntie, I got it, I got it!" she cheered.

"Quiet, Zan!" Aunt Orchid shushed her. "You'll wake up the whole village!"

Zan then remembered that it was night. "Oh yes…sorry!" she whispered. "But I finally got it!"

Aunt Orchid then floated over to the wooden plank and checked it and the spear. She then floated back over to Zan. "Very well done, darling! At this point, it should be easy for you to learn the threads! But for now, the best thing is to get ready for bed. Yes, even the best warriors need to rest."

Zan then headed back inside and changed into her nightdress, climbing into bed afterward. Within the following minutes, her aunt entered the room and stood beside her bed. "I'm very proud of you Zan." her aunt spoke softly. "Not giving up on learning no matter what…you remind me so much of your great-grandfather."

"Torbekari the Great?"

"Yes, Zan. As long as I've known him, he refused to give up on anything, and always encouraged me and your father to do the same. If he had the chance to watch you tonight, I know he'd be very proud of you."

"Then I'll continue to make him proud!" said Zan. "After a good rest, of course."

Orchid drew the covers over Zan to comfort her. "Sleep well Zan; and you will make him proud." she whispered. She then blew out Zan's bedside candle and quietly shut the door as Zan fell asleep proudly.

* * *

Over the next moons, Zan continued training with her aunt on a near-nightly basis. She soon learned how to throw a spear and even slash it in a sword-like fashion. She learned that she could also use sorcery, if she had the rare magic in her blood. Only time would be able to figure that out. But even then, Zan felt very confident that she was soon to become a member of the Galaxy Mage Army, and possibly even impress Landia Dory herself. She had high hopes to teach these skills to the next generation of mages, and her younger cousins. Of course, she couldn't teach them everything, as they were likely destined to other weapon types, although she could offer some tips and tricks. Zan was perfectly sure that she would one day defeat those Galaxy Wizards…

…But very little did she know that one day, she would need her tricks for a menacing essence of darkness, rising below ground…

* * *

 **A/N: Just to clear things up a bit, the term "Landia" stated in this chapter does not refer to the dragon from the games; I depict that, in the Jamba language, the word means ruler.**

 **Also, I will be working on this story while finishing my other two, just not as often. Jambuhbye!**


	6. A Beautiful Rival

**Responses (I swear, I'm going to forget to write these every time...):**

 **zanpartyfan: Aww, thank you! And don't worry, I'm working on this whenever I can; I'm just trying to finish my other two stories so I can focus on this one. (By the way, I LOVE that username!)**

 **FanficLover: Why do you think I put a warning in the description?**

 **Guest: Yeah, I agree that this story is a bit short so far, but thank you for letting me know. I'll try to patch up these spots for now on.**

* * *

Chapter 6

A Beautiful Rival

It was a peaceful afternoon in late Spring when Zan Partizanne quietly decided it was finally time to test out her skills. Following a training session, she told her aunt she was going out for a stroll…only she wasn't really. Today was the day she wanted revenge on the Galaxy Wizards. And she would start by escaping to the forbidden lands, and perhaps taking out a young wizard or witch who wandered just a bit too far. If she managed to do this, perhaps it would encourage Landia Dory to spark a revolution against the wizards and finally claim victory. To have this much waiting for her…there was absolutely no time to lose! The longer she waited, the less likely they would win.

As Zan spied for an escape route, her spear slung over her back, she heard someone approaching from behind. Panicking slightly, she jumped behind a broken fence and listened carefully.

"Father, did you see anything, or was it just me?"

"What are you talking about, son?"

"I thought I- you know what, never mind."

Zan took a peek from behind the fence board to find the coast clear, and then made a dash for the place of unknown danger. Little did Zan know that she was soon to find herself in peril.

Less than an hour into her travels, Zan stopped to try to find her way around this unfamiliar land of which should couldn't even find a way back home. And it looked like it was about to rain lions and wolves. "Perhaps I've travelled a bit too far…" she admitted. "But I can't stop now- not after making it this far! Besides- I've got an empress to impress!" She then climbed to the top of a small rock and pounded the ground with the end of her spear, pretending to be a leader of the Galaxy Mage army. "You all hear me? We've come so far now; we can't give up! Not after all we've been through! Just a bit farther down the path, and victory will be ours!" she boasted, raising her spear into the air with pride. She expected to hear cries of joy and applause from all directions- but instead, a deep hiss came from behind. Zan's pride quickly turned to fear as she looked to the ground and saw a shadow growing taller by the second. She turned around and saw the largest centipede she ever saw in her life; in her eyes, it was titanic.

Without even thinking, Zan thrusted her spear at the beast. It stuck into its side, but the monster only yanked it out effortlessly with its large pincers. Before she even had time to try and retrieve it, the monster lunged and grabbed her in its pincers, leaving her struggling and screaming. Now she realized that these lands weren't called the "Forbidden Lands" for nothing. But all hope seemed long gone for her and coming out here must've been her final mistake. If only someone could save her…

* * *

Hyness decided to visit his little cavern after a long day at school. He didn't necessarily want to get away from his parents, but he felt the need for a break from life to get lost in his thoughts. And he decided to take along a book from his favorite class, mythology, to assist him. Settling down at the mouth of the cave with the late sun shining in, he set the book on his lap and turned to the contents, only to have himself stuck on where to start. There were so many options, from _Haldryana's Greatest Wizard_ to _Emperor of the War Beasts_. But the title that particularly caught Hyness' eye was _The Four Heart Warriors_ , one he heard of but never read. Curiosity occupying his mind, he turned to the guided page and began reading:

 _"Vun long ago, a titanic, beastly ruler of darkness awoke from the darkest depths of space. Said to be a brutally mutated Dark Matter, it had the ability to bring memories of the past back to life. Often known as Void, it had the power to eradicate even the oldest and grandest stars with little effort. Void crushed the stars many times throughout the ages, often sleeping deeply between each. Seeming unstoppable, it jonto worried the Guardians of Nebula."_

"The Guardians of Nebula!" Hyness stopped to exclaim. Learning of them, triplet young stars that wished lor and peace among the universe and rebelled hatred, several times prior, Hyness was now hooked.

 _"As a last resort, the three sisters sent a message to four talented Galaxy Wizards via a dream to help them with a special task. The next day, the seven began to work on a secret project to craft four sharp pillars known as Heart Spears._

 _…With help from the Guardians, the four wizards stabbed the Heart Spears through the titan's bastion, transforming him into a violet heart-shaped crystal, with the spears remaining pierced through it. But upon examining the ruins of Void's demise, the four heroic wizards were nowhere to be found by the Guardians. To them, there was janno doubt that they gave their lives. Filled with deep jarrow and remorse, they carried Void's crystal, known as the Jamba Heart, to a faraway planet, never for it nor the Guardians to be seen majaja."_

Hyness looked up from the book as several things came to mind. First, why was part of the legend written in this ancient language? Sure, some wizards he knew of occasionally used it, but from all he knew, it was only meant to be spoken by Landia Lylunus, the Galaxy Wizard emperor, and his lovely queen, Landia Ravyn. Was it possible that a Galaxy Mage wrote the book? He wasn't sure if they always spoke that language, as the wizards were forbidden from socializing with them. And it seemed strange to him that a mage-written book would be in a wizard-only school, unless no one was aware of it. Second, if the Guardians were never seen again, or "majaja" as Landia Lylunus would say, then how come there were other stories of them? Surely, they couldn't all have been written prior to the legend of the four heart warriors, if it was even true at all. Despite the curiosity of the question, Hyness decided to put it aside for the moment, and kept reading.

" _Many rumors run about of what happened to the Guardians of Nebula. Some cultures speak of them sacrificing themselves to resurrect the warriors, while others tell that they perished with time, their voices left to echo their wails of jarrow. But whatever happened might always remain a mystery to wizardkind._

 _Several moons after the demise, the long-hated Galaxy Mages grew jealous of the Galaxy Wizards and began to attack them, jonto forcing them to leave the side of the Galaxy Warriors in war to fight them off. The wizards refuse to stop until the konjy mages are finished off once and for all."_

"Very strange indeed…" Hyness wondered aloud. "But I don't understand…why would they be so jealous of us?"

Before he could think of an answer, a loud scream rang through Hyness' covered ears. Alarmed, he looked around for anything that could've made the sound, but there was only him and his book. Then he heard it again, and this time he realized that it was from afar. _What if it's another wizard!?_ he panicked mentally. He then shut the book, tucked it away into the cave and rushed to the top of its exterior. Floating about a meter above it, he gazed about until he found a dark, moving object in the distance. He gasped at the sight. _That better not be what I think it is…_

Heart racing, Hyness slowly approached the object, and unfortunately, he was right: it was a ferocious monster without a given name. But he was shaken by the sight of what it was doing: attacking somebody with its huge pincers and the spikes along its body. He watched for a moment and realized its victim was a young girl with blonde hair, screaming and flailing helplessly. Seeing it hold the girl high in the air and then smack her against the rocky ground, Hyness was horrified.

Remembering hearing of monsters that dwelled in the forbidden lands, he refused to be a bystander. He quickly charged up a dark sphere from the end of his sleeve and threw it at the vicious creature, catching it off guard. It then turned to him, its menacing yellow eyes seeming to pierce his soul. It charged at him, but he quickly moved out of the way, leaving it crashing into the ground. He launched two more shadowy spheres at it from behind, hitting the monster in the back of the head, stunning it. Hyness then rushed over to the injured girl. She was breathing heavily, her eyes shut tight, and there were pale red lines across both of her cheeks. Hyness inspected her more closely, much to his shock; she had hands detached from her body, and yellow hair that ran past her dress, which was spotted with holes and dusty, dirty flecks. She lacked visible ears, and had the palest skin of anyone he'd ever seen.

Hyness quickly concluded that this was a Galaxy Mage, leaving him on edge. She was his enemy…yet to him, she was charming. Should he take her to safety? Or should he leave her to fend for herself? It didn't take long for him to conclude this either; both she and the Galaxy Wizards were victims of ferocious demons. Just then, the centipede-like beast lifted its head slightly, slowly awakening. Hyness didn't hesitate to throw another sphere at it, which knocked it back to the ground. From there, he lifted the girl into his arms and made a run for his little hideout.

Upon arriving back, it was dark out and rain fell hard. Cold and exhausted, Hyness lay the girl on the ground, noticing that she was shivering and still had panicked breath. Her stress didn't subside after several minutes. It was as if she was having an ongoing nightmare. Hyness, now worried about her, had only one idea in mind. He carefully sat her upright and pressed the side of her head up against his chest, breathing gently and running his hand, uncovered, through her long hair. Within moments, she seemed to calm down and drift off to sleep from exhaustion, letting Hyness relax a bit. Only…what would happen when she wakes? It was very likely for her to realize they were two opposing races… she was weak, yet it didn't seem right to him to finish her off, especially in her sleep.

He was left wondering what to do until a bolt of lightning and crash of thunder outside made the decision for him: stay where he was with the young mage, with the risk of being attacked upon her awakening. He looked back at the mage at the sound of a small moan to see she was still shivering, although not as much as earlier. But then he noticed something else; two glowing magenta orbs were visible in the dark depths of the cave. Frightened, he kept staring at them until the creature came forward, revealing itself. It was a bird-like creature, just under his own height, with bright orange feathers, large curved wings, and no beak, but a large mouth with two small fangs in front.

Hyness easily identified it as a Greater Doomer, an interdimensional bird that occasionally dwelled in Haldryana. He once read that these mysterious birds were known to be aggressive toward anyone who approached their nest, especially when raising offspring. Despite this, the Doomer before him looked rather harmless.

"Did I disturb you?" he spoke to it, not knowing if it would understand. "I didn't mean to- but this girl's been hurt! I was only trying to keep her from the rain."

The Doomer's bright eyes faded into the darkness once more, only for them to return minutes later when it reappeared- with two thin blankets in its jaws! It flew over to Hyness and the beautiful rival of his and dragged a blanket over each of them as if tucking them into bed. It then nodded to Hyness, followed by flying back into the dark depths of the cave. Hyness then realized the girl's shivers start to slow down to the point where none remained. He carefully wrapped the blanket around her to comfort her. He then looked back into the darkness, wondering how such a different species seemed to understand him perfectly.

"Whatever the reason, thank you…" he whispered. He drew the blanket over himself, the song of the rain filling his ears and weighing down his eyelids.

 _I just hope when she wakes up…she'll thank me for saving her…_

* * *

 **A/N (READ BEFORE YOU REVIEW!): Jes, jes, I am aware of Zan Partizanne's Soul Melter EX description. Don't you dare think that jaway (I forgot) about it!**

 **Also, if you happen to write a review, it doesn't always have to be positive, but at least make it relevant to the story and not just the description, please!**

 **Man, I can't believe it's been a full year since the game came out...and yet I didn't even make a full video for my Let's Play of it... In that case I think I should get back to work!**


	7. The Wizard and the Bird

Chapter 7

The Wizard and the Bird

Feeling groggy, Zan realized she was on hard ground instead of a cozy bed at home. Cold mist stuck to her face and pain numbed all other feelings as her eyes opened. _Where am I?_ she wondered weakly. She barely remembered anything, other than three prior events: being ambushed unexpectedly, great waves of pain…and something carrying her benevolently. Only, what did that mean?

Demanding an answer, Zan looked to her left and saw that she wasn't alone in this…cavern, it seemed. By her side, asleep, was another person all dressed in white with a golden-trimmed hood and sleeves, tucked under a somewhat dirty white blanket. She then noticed that she was under one, too. But looking down, she realized her hands were scraped and covered in dirt and raw patches. Then she remembered going out for a "walk" as she told her aunt, and she must've been waiting for Zan. Worried, she tried to move the sheet off of herself, only to squeal in pain from her raw hands.

Zan's pain was followed by the small moan of another voice. She looked back to her side and saw the stranger was waking. He rubbed his eye with his sleeve before gazing at her with concerned golden eyes. But those eyes…they gave Zan the terrifying realization that he was a Galaxy Wizard. He lifted the thin blanket off himself, uncovering that he wore a short robe with very long sleeves, as if his clothes were slightly too big for him. Feeling that he might do something to her, Zan threw the blanket off herself, yelping in more pain.

The wizard gasped lightly, clearly understanding that she was hurt and trying to escape. He floated over to her, gazing at her reddened hands with a blend of worry and nervousness in his large eyes. He took a deep breath and seemed to gain the courage to speak.

"Do you mind if I…look at them?"

Zan wasn't sure how to respond at first. From his voice, he was certainly a child, maybe slightly older than she- and it was shaky with a sense of comfort. Although his race was long-hated by her own, she couldn't really help but _trust_ his request. Slowly, she decided to set her hands palms-up in his sleeves.

"It sure doesn't look good…" the young wizard mumbled, "We should probably wash them off outside."

Zan gave a small nod in agreement, followed by letting him guide her outside to a large, sparkling reservoir surrounded by puddles from overnight rain, as well as clouds of light mist. She couldn't help herself but stop and stare at its beauty but was quickly interrupted by her sore hands when she placed one on a rock. She then refocused on the wizard's offer, trailing behind him to a slightly deep puddle.

Gazing into the water, Zan saw another face covered in dirt and scratches. It placed a mask of worry on her face- what would her aunt and cousins think? Perhaps rinsing it with the water would help…but it would likely come at the price of further pain. Yet it seemed there was no other option. Holding her breath, she suspended her right hand above the pooled liquid, expecting a cold sting to arrive as soon as it made contact. _Here goes nothing…_ she encouraged herself. She shoved it under, there was a brief jolt of a sting, and then- nothing. Zan yanked her hand out of the water in confusion, only to find it spotless. There wasn't the smallest scratch left behind, nor any hint of pain or tint of red. It was pale and perfect.

From the look in his eyes, it seemed the wizard himself didn't understand what happened when Zan suddenly shifted her gaze to him. "My best guess is it's some kind of…magic water." he shrugged. "Maybe it was from the rain last night."

Delighted by wonder, Zan plunged her left hand into the cold puddle, followed by her right, cupped the water into them, and splashed it onto her face. With another gaze into the pool, the parallel face was clearer than freshly polished porcelain. She would've smiled, had she had a mouth, and her reflection blushed lightly. She then turned to the wizard, who was slightly blushing himself, although maybe not out of desire. He turned away, seeming unable to look at her.

Now understanding this boy seemed rather timid, she gently placed a healed hand on his shoulder. "Thank you…" she managed to whisper.

The wizard looked over his shoulder, gazing at the hand on it. His star-shining eyes turned from stunned to soft. She couldn't be surer that, if he had a mouth, a smile concealed itself beneath the veil on his hood. Had she the same, she would've smiled back.

The two headed back to the cavern in joyful silence, although the wizard still seemed a tad nervous. In Zan's eyes, he either wasn't used to speaking amongst others, or he recognized her as an enemy race. Or could it have been both? She'd rather not call him out on it.

"Are you alright otherwise?" he questioned to her.

"I am a bit worried about my family, I'd say…" Zan answered. "After all, I'm sure my aunt expected me home by sunset."

It seemed the wizard wanted to reply, but was interrupted by a low growling noise, catching the attention of them both. Zan wasn't sure what it was, nor if she should be afraid, but solved the mystery when the young wizard placed a covered hand over his abdomen.

"Pardon me…" he spoke in embarrassment, "With all the excitement last night, I didn't get to go home and eat…"

"Neither did I," replied Zan, noticing she was also a bit hungry, "But I take that as you don't have anything, right?"

"I'm afraid not." the wizard shook his head. But then, a large shadow appeared on the ground from above. The children gazed up to find a spherical bird with giant wings, orange feathers and a cloth sack in its jaws. It hovered just above the ground, set down the sack, nodded at the two, and then flew away to the unknown. Zan traced its path by sight as far as she could until the boy's voice yanked her from her mind.

"It must be trying to help us."

Zan looked at him in confusion, now noticing he opened the sack to find it filled with various food scraps.

"I saw the same Doomer last night, when it gave us the blankets. You were already asleep then." he supposedly read her face. "It's strange, though; I spoke to it, and it seemed to understand me perfectly." He then turned to Zan. "By the way, you can eat first if you'd like."

"Are you sure?" Zan asked.

"Um…it's fine!" he suddenly squeaked out anxiously, covering his face. "I swear, I'm terrible at this! Forgive me!"

Zan didn't even have to ask what he was talking about- it was clearly the shakiness when he spoke. Although part of her wanted to tell him there was nothing wrong, another part told her this wasn't the right time for that. Maybe if she left him alone, he would properly pull himself together. To keep herself occupied and calm her gnawing hunger, she began eating some of the collected food, but still kept a close eye on the wizard. It took a short while, but her plan seemed to work; he calmed down, uncovered his face and finished off whatever Zan couldn't eat. Afterward, it looked like it settled him down quite a bit. The two went back outside and sat down, gazing at the spring. For a while there was silence, and then Zan recalled a bit more of the previous day, when a worm-like centipede ambushed her. Out of fear, she chucked her spear at it…and never got it back.

Zan gasped at the sudden realization, "My spear! I lost it!"

The wizard jolted in alert.

"With the beast attacking me, I didn't have the chance to retrieve it." Zan stated. But then she realized something else… "Wait…why did you save me?"

The wizard paused a moment, and then took a deep breath. "For me, it's rather complicated, but I know how it feels to be cornered by something that makes one feel powerless." he attempted to explain. "At least, that's what I thought when I noticed it from afar. But once I found you injured, I also realized that, although we're rivaling races, we share common enemies, such as that monster."

Zan exhaled in disbelief. "I've never thought about it that way." she thought aloud. "But after all that happened with that creature, I don't feel brave enough to go back and fetch my spear!"

"Don't worry, I'll go with you." the wizard offered, standing up.

"Really? Thank you!" said Zan with joy. "By the way, what name do you go by?"

"Hyness." he replied.

"Hyness?" echoed Zan, "What an interesting name!"

"And what about you?" Hyness asked as he began showing her the way to where he rescued her.

"I'm Zan Partizanne," she answered. "I know, it's a lot to remember, but you can call me Zan for short."

"Alright, then…Zanne."

The two travelled back to the zone of the ambush, quieting down as they got closer so any monsters wouldn't hear them as easily. It wasn't long before they arrived to find that same centipede-demon curled up against the rocks, with Zan Partizanne's spear lying next to it. "I can't just go over there- it'll wake up and attack me again!" Zan whispered to Hyness.

"It's your property, though; I don't want to just grab it myself." Hyness whispered back, "I think you should just get it with me close behind."

Zan held her breath. "Alright, then…here goes nothing…" She then crept over to the sleeping beast with Hyness a short distance behind her. The monster's head twitched slightly, freaking Zan out, but then rested its head back on the ground. Zan looked behind herself, back to Hyness, who nodded his head once, a bit of nervousness in his eyes. Looking back, she crept closer to her spear, placed one hand on it, grasped it, and held it up for Hyness to see. But without thinking, she dashed away, with her draft catching the beast's attention. Zan failed to notice this at first, though.

"You were right, Hyness! It didn't-" she started, but was interrupted by a low, angered snarl. "-Never mind." she corrected herself.

"We've gotten it angry…" Hyness panicked, "Run for it!"

But before either of them could, a white bolt shot from the beast's pincers, hitting Hyness in the chest and knocking him over. "Hyness!" Zan screamed, dropping her spear and rushing over to him. The beast slithered over, towering over them. Zan covered Hyness with her entire body, waiting for the beast to crash on top of them. Instead, there was only the sound of a crash, followed by a screech.

"Don't you touch them!" a voice yelled.

Hyness pulled himself together, off the ground and Zan aside. But their savior was not a wizard, mage, nor even a soldier. An orange, spherical bird flew into view, launching spheres of flames at the centipede. It kept screeching in pain, flailing at random to try and counter attack its pint-sized opponent, but the bird was too quick to be hit once.

"What, is that all you've got left?" the Doomer taunted it in a slightly-deep female voice. "How about don't even _bother_ trying? You've got the size, but I've got the speed!"

Both children were stunned as she kept giving it one fireball and taunt after another, until it retreated, looking ashamed. The bird then grabbed the spear in her jaws and set it down in front of Zan Partizanne. "How were you able to do that?" she questioned, dumbfounded.

"Don't worry, I do this to them all the time!" the Doomer laughed. "You two are alright, aren't you?"

"I've never heard of this before- a Greater Doomer that can speak like a person!" Hyness concluded. "So that's why you understood me so perfectly!"

"I've learned it from my caretakers." she stated blushed. "I figured you two weren't willing to hurt one another, so I thought I should step in."

"And that's why you wanted to help us!" Zan figured.

"Why yes! I've never enjoyed watching others take their hostility out on each other, so you two are an ember of hope for Haldryana!" she chirped. "Well, for me at least…I'm Amber by the way."

"Well, thanks for the help…Amber." replied Zan.

* * *

Several hours later, when evening approached, Zan felt confident enough to head home as long as Amber guided her back the way. But as she readied herself to lead, Hyness stopped her.

"Zanne…"

"Yes, Hyness?"

"Please promise me one thing…to not tell anyone, be it a mage, wizard, or soldier, about my presence here. As long as you do, you may come back if you wish."

Zan nodded. "I cross my heart to keep it a secret." She then let Amber guide her from above back home.

As he watched her leave, Hyness suddenly remembered that he also had a family waiting for him back at home. With this, he grabbed his mythology book and headed back to his own village, unable to help himself but wonder if Zanne would stay true to her words.

 _Even if you don't, Zanne, I must thank you for opening my eyes to a common enemy. I certainly hope you will return someday…_

Later that evening, Amber returned Zan home safely, followed by returning home herself. Once far enough from any society, she summoned a portal upon a rock and entered a dimly lit chamber of which she refused to expose to a soul. "Great Guardians of Nebula! It is I, Messenger Amber, with an important notice!" She shouted into the vast depths of what seemed to the unfamiliar to be oblivion.

Nine glowing orbs of three colors lit from those dark depths. "Tell us Amber, what have you seen?" a young female voice responded.

"I strongly believe I have found the two who may end the feud forever!"

"You actually say?" followed another female voice, "Are you certain?"

"Not at the moment. They only just met, but if they develop a strong friendship, it's absolutely possible!"

"What a strong will of yours, Amber." yet another voice added, "Do you mind pointing them out to us and allowing us to watch?"

"Absolutely! And I will also act as a spy, as well as a friend and protector. They be our only hope!"

* * *

 **A/N: I hope the wait wasn't too long, everyone. I've just been trying to get back to making videos (finally uploaded one!) and kept forgetting about this. Also, I plan on touching up a few of the previous chapters (especially chapter 4), but you probably won't need to reread them. I should be finished in the next few days, but don't quote me on that!**

 **Also, jamanke vun to everyone contributing to this story's 3,000 views! It means so much to me!**


	8. A Trusting Friendship

Chapter 8

A Trusting Friendship

Still thanking Hyness on the inside for everything, Zan turned the doorknob on her cottage door and gently pushed it open. "Mum, I'm home!" she called out.

Zan's aunt rushed to the door, her young twin daughters playing in the family room. "Where have you been, Zanny?" she cried, "I was so worried! Why, I was going to report you lost to Landia Dory!"

"Don't worry, Mum," Zan laughed, "I was a bit lost, that's all."

"Zanny!" cheered two voices from little children at the realization that Zan was home.

Thrilled to see her cousins once again, Zan pulled them into a tight hug as they quickly rushed over to her. These two, Francisca and Flamberge, were so dear to Zan…but a great fear of hers was to spill the secret that she wasn't really their sister, as they thought she was. Zan did anything to keep them from knowing, which meant that she now addressed her aunt as her mother in front of them, not wanting them to possibly distrust her for telling such a lie.

Later on, at the dinner table, the family ate in a long silence. That was until Orchid broke it:

"Zan, where were you since you left the house yesterday?"

Zan froze up for a moment- how could she answer this? She promised Hyness that she wouldn't tell anyone of his presence in the forbidden lands, but she didn't quite want to lie either. Then again, she was telling a major lie for years now. After quickly thinking it through, she felt that she should let out some of the truth but keep in the rest.

"Well, I initially went out to do some training on my own," Zan lied, "when a demonic critter came and attacked me. I tried to fight back but failed."

Her twin cousins stared up at her with mainly frightened expressions.

"It was then, I thought it was all over, when someone came and saved me."

"Saved you?" Aunt Orchid exclaimed, "Who was it?"

"I don't know who he was. He didn't tell me his name, but he aided me and led me back home. He seemed around my age, maybe a little older."

Orchid stood up slowly. "Zan," she spoke hesitantly, "Was this savior a Galaxy Mage?"

Zan paused a moment. "I'm not sure, Mum. Though I doubt he was any sort of…enemy."

"Well, I'm sure he wasn't!" Aunt Orchid replied, "He'd hurt you first chance he could."

Orchid gathered the empty dishes from the table and took them to the sink, leaving the girls to go play. This was when Zan got the idea to give her cousins some advice.

"Girls, do you mind coming with me for a moment?"

They immediately obeyed and Zan took them to her room. They settled down on her bed, and Zan took a nervous breath.

"Can you two please promise me something?"

"Yes, Zanny!" the two replied.

"Keep it down, girls!" she shushed them, "I just- if you two ever go out to fight the Galaxy Wizards, please don't go until you know you're ready."

"Ready?" the twins echoed, this time a bit quieter.

"It's really dangerous and scary out there…I'd be so upset if either of you got into trouble, I can't even tell you…" she proceeded to pull them into another hug, "You two mean everything to me…actually, can I tell you a secret?"

The last part slipped out unintentionally, and Zan quickly realized she made such a mistake. After all, she promised him…

"What kind of secret?" asked her blue-haired cousin.

Zan wished she could take it back now. "It's a…bit of a deep one, Franny…" she stuttered with regret.

"Is it a good one?" added her red-haired cousin.

She tried to fake it, "I…suppose, Berge, but- ugh, I probably shouldn't say it…"

"Please?" her young cousins begged, their large blue eyes gazing into Zan's.

One look at those innocent eyes of theirs, and Zan couldn't tell them no. "Well, alright," she sighed, "But I can only tell you two if you deeply promise to not tell Mama." She stuck a floating hand out to each young mage. "Promise?"

"We promise." Franny and Berge placed their tiny hands in each of hers.

 _I'm sorry, Hyness…_

"Alright…" Zan began, "Remember that boy I mentioned who saved me?"

"Yes." Responded her cousins.

Zan swallowed hard. "He was really a wizard."

"Wizard?" gasped the twins.

"Shush!" said Zan, "I don't want Mama to hear!"

The two then stayed silent.

"At least, I'm _pretty sure_ he was a wizard. His head was covered in cloth, so I couldn't really tell. Either way, he was very nice, but rather shy. He told me his name was Hyness."

There was a moment of silence.

"You see him more?" Franny questioned.

"You tell us him?" added Berge.

"Of course, but don't tell Mama, alright?" Zan reminded them.

The twins looked at each other and giggled. With this, Zan was assured that the secret was safe.

"Then it's settled, darlings." she patted their heads. "Now, shall we get ready for bed?"

* * *

Two weeks later, shortly after climbing into bed, Zan peeked out from under the covers to make sure the coast was clear. After several minutes, it certainly seemed that way, and Zan was ready to find her way out. Carefully slipping out from under the bed covers, she navigated her way to the front door in silence, thanks to practicing during the nights before, opened it and left the cottage as silently as possible. Checking around for enemy wizards or demons, she went into the yard and grabbed her spear, just in case of the worst. She then proceeded to make her way back to Hyness' little hideaway, remembering the route Amber took when guiding her back home.

It didn't take long for her to find this place, and thankfully there were no demonic creatures around to put her into danger. And as she expected, Hyness was there, wrapped up in a blanket in one of the caverns, reading a book with a violet binding.

Zan set down her spear against the rocks to not make it look like she was there to cause harm. "Hyness?" she spoke quietly, pretending she didn't know he'd be there.

Hyness' eyes darted from his book to her. "Zanne?" he spoke in surprise.

"Sorry to startle you, but…I kind of missed you." Zan admitted, "I know it's only been two weeks but…"

"It's funny, because I felt the same." Hyness confessed, "I've missed you since you left that day."

"Is that why you're here?"

"No…my parents were fighting, and I have exams at school next week, so I thought I'd find some quiet time here."

"You don't mind if I stay here, do you?"

"…I suppose I could use some company. I think I've done enough studying for one day, anyway."

With that, Hyness set down his book, threw the blanket off and approached Zan. He then gazed up at the sky, with Zan following his gaze. Never had Zan seen such a beautiful night dotted with so many glittering stars, painted with swirled cosmos. She found it astounding. Without even asking each other, the two of them lay on the ground on their backs, continuing to watch the sky's artwork.

"Does the night always appear this way, Hyness?" asked Zan, filled with wonder.

"Mostly on clear nights, but I don't recall seeing one quite like this." Hyness responded. "Perhaps it's a special night."

"Yes, I'd certainly call it special." Zan stated, closing her eyes, but reopening them at a question from Hyness.

"Zanne, I wanted to ask you a bit of a favor…would you come here more often?"

Zan turned her head to look him in the eye, only to find him still staring at the sky.

"Sometimes I feel a bit lonely with no one else around, and for a long time now, I didn't feel that I could trust anyone to keep this place a secret." He then turned his covered head to make eye contact with Zan. "That was until I met you. I've never had someone so nice to me besides my family…it makes me feel such joy I can't even describe!"

Zan felt her cheeks warm up intensely. "Of course, Hyness. I never thought I could make friends with an opponent until you saved me, and now, I must be a different person than the determined child I knew two weeks ago."

Hyness blushed deeply beneath his hood, smiling inside. He and Zan then proceeded to stargaze once again. After a long period of silence where time seemed to stop, Zan turned to Hyness once more and shifted her hand to his sleeve, pressing her thumb to the side of his covered hand. He subconsciously sensed the hand and squeezed it tightly, marking a trusting friendship, frozen in time.

* * *

Luckily, Zan was able to get home the next morning before her family awoke. That was anything but the last time she visited Hyness, too. At least once a week, she managed to carve out time to spend with Hyness in his private little land and enjoyed just about every moment of it. She rarely wasted this time, either, as she often found something of interest to do, from reading legends with him to learning some new skills in being a warrior. Sometimes, Amber the Doomer showed up as well, also making the most out of spending time with these two. But there was something Zan couldn't quit wondering about: why Hyness always had that hood over his face. She once asked him why, but he only answered with "You wouldn't like it." She never wanted to ask out loud again, but she silently demanded an answer. In her mind, perhaps he'd tell her why if he was more comfortable being around her, but that seemed a bit unlikely. But in either case, she'd get an answer someday.

Zan never said another word about Hyness, Amber or the forbidden lands, only telling lies that she was secretly training. Her young cousins, possibly having forgotten what their "sister" told them, never brought up what slipped out that night, either. While her aunt appeared rather suspicious about what Zan was actually up to, she seemed to keep it to herself. Zan was also more cautious about what she told her family as well, careful to guard her secret. And she somehow got away with all of this for the next several years.


End file.
